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A review by mspilesofpaper
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Silver in the Wood is the first novella in a duology about Tobias Finch and Henry Silver. It reads like a forest fairytale and has the vibe of a Hozier song. It is a loose m/m retelling of the Green Man myths in a gaslamp, Victorian-inspired world. The Green Man myths are mostly myths linked with Great Britain although you can find traces of it in architecture in most European countries (e.g., on Byzantine mosaic in Istanbul, on the ruins of Hatra in Iraq, in Bamberg (Germany), ...). The myths include often the themes of rebirth and reawakening, which the author implemented in Silver in the Wood as well.
To most people, Tobias is a wild man who lives in Greenhollow and is responsible for everything bad that happens to them. The truth is that Tobias' soul was bound to Greenhollow roughly 400 years ago and has lived ever since in the wood, tending to the trees, taking care of the dryads, and chasing away monsters who are drawn to the old magic in the forest. To Henry Silver, he is not a wild man or a monster. He is just ... Tobias. The man who took him in during a storm and the one who listens to him rambling about folklore and myths. [I love Tobias "I'm a very tired homosexual and I just want to rest" Finch and Henry "Oh wow! One bed ... how convenient! I'm trying to get you into my bed since the start." Silver as characters just as much as Bramble and Henry's mother who as van Helsing vibes.]
Overall, a slow-paced novella although sometimes things happen quickly because of how the main character experiences time himself. It is a lovely blend of myths, mystery, romance and change (in nature and characters), which got wrapped up in beautiful prose. Interesting take on immortality and how it affects actual people (because let's face it: being immortal is horrifying if you're alone). If you love T. Kingfisher's books, you might enjoy it as well because it could work as a short DnD campaign, too.
To most people, Tobias is a wild man who lives in Greenhollow and is responsible for everything bad that happens to them. The truth is that Tobias' soul was bound to Greenhollow roughly 400 years ago and has lived ever since in the wood, tending to the trees, taking care of the dryads, and chasing away monsters who are drawn to the old magic in the forest. To Henry Silver, he is not a wild man or a monster. He is just ... Tobias. The man who took him in during a storm and the one who listens to him rambling about folklore and myths. [I love Tobias "I'm a very tired homosexual and I just want to rest" Finch and Henry "Oh wow! One bed ... how convenient! I'm trying to get you into my bed since the start." Silver as characters just as much as Bramble and Henry's mother who as van Helsing vibes.]
Overall, a slow-paced novella although sometimes things happen quickly because of how the main character experiences time himself. It is a lovely blend of myths, mystery, romance and change (in nature and characters), which got wrapped up in beautiful prose. Interesting take on immortality and how it affects actual people (because let's face it: being immortal is horrifying if you're alone). If you love T. Kingfisher's books, you might enjoy it as well because it could work as a short DnD campaign, too.